Brookfield Planning Commission Reviews Draft Affordable Housing Plan, Opens Public Comment

BROOKFIELD, CT — The Planning Commission on Sept. 18 held a public information session on a draft update to Brookfield’s Affordable Housing Plan, outlining data, goals and potential zoning changes intended to expand housing options while aligning the plan on the same cycle as the town’s newly adopted Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).

Chair Scott Dale opened the meeting in Town Hall Room 133 with commissioners Linda Taylor and Marc Loewengart and alternate Elaine Tamanio present. Consultant Emily Tolbert of BFJ Planning, which helped craft the 2025 POCD, walked residents through the draft plan and the timeline to adoption. The commission adopted the POCD on Sept. 4; the affordable housing update leverages that work so both documents advance together.

Tolbert said the draft plan incorporates POCD analyses on demographics, housing supply, land use, transportation and infrastructure, plus findings from a winter public survey that drew more than 670 responses, stakeholder interviews and two POCD workshops. A public hearing on the POCD in August also informed the draft.

State law requires municipalities to prepare an affordable housing plan at least every five years. Brookfield adopted a plan in 2022, but the update would synchronize its five-year cycle with the POCD’s 10-year schedule. Tolbert noted that updating the plan helps the town proactively guide where and how affordable units are created—rather than reacting under Connecticut General Statutes §8-30g, the appeals process that can shift the burden of proof to the town when denying certain affordable housing applications.

Using 2020 Census housing counts, Brookfield reported 371 affordable units out of 7,016 total—about 5.21 percent—in 2024. Bethel is at a similar rate (5.3 percent), while Danbury exceeds the state’s 10 percent threshold. Brookfield currently has an §8-30g moratorium through 2026. Tolbert said projections suggest the town’s percentage could rise as projects approved before the moratorium and in past incentive housing zones come online, though the share may adjust when total housing unit counts are updated in the next decennial baseline.

The draft plan flags key issues and opportunities already identified in the POCD: limited sewer capacity that constrains new development; an extremely tight market with roughly 1 percent of units for sale or rent at any given time; and demand for more diverse housing to help older residents downsize and attract young professionals. Some residents expressed concern about overdevelopment and aesthetics, but Tolbert said service providers reported they can currently meet needs. She also cited recent and potential state policy changes affecting local zoning.

Goals and actions in the draft include:

• Concentrate growth where infrastructure exists, particularly along the Federal Road corridor and in the Town Center District, following “smart growth” principles. The town would also work with the WPCA and regional partners, including Danbury, to explore increasing sewer capacity.
• Broaden affordability across income bands, by publicizing mortgage and rental assistance programs; clarifying multifamily density bonuses to align with §8-30g; considering inclusionary zoning thresholds; exploring incentives for “workforce” housing (roughly 100–120% of area median income); and reducing certain fees as permitted under a 2021 state law.
• Expand housing types, by updating code to comply with Public Act 21-29, easing barriers to accessory apartments, reevaluating unit caps and minimum floor-area requirements, allowing townhomes in subdivisions and enabling conservation subdivisions.

During public comment, Brookfield Economic Development Specialist Greg Dembowski explained that Brookfield’s affordable inventory can rise during a moratorium because previously approved §8-30g and incentive housing projects continue moving through construction. Developer Greg Steiner, who owns Berkshire Corporate Park, described a small-lot single-family project underway in neighboring Bethel near Benedict Road and Route 6, arguing that higher-density detached homes can offer alternatives to four-story apartment buildings while still penciling out infrastructure costs. Another commenter pointed to large undeveloped tracts near Vail Road—served by sewer and water—but noted fire-truck access limits under existing rail overpasses and the need for an intersection upgrade at Stony Hill if the area were ever considered for lower-rise development.

Slides from the presentation have been posted online here.

The commission is accepting emailed comments at planning@brookfieldct.gov through Sept. 24, with revisions to follow and potential action at the commission’s Oct. 2 regular meeting.